Menu

Visiting Xi’an

In addition to being the home base for visiting the world-famous Terra Cotta Warriors, Xi’an (China) is a great city to wander around at night – the colorful well-lit buildings, towers and walls give it a magical air. Our visit was right before the Chinese National Holiday period in October, and the city seemed to come alive with all kinds of activities on a Sunday night, including groups of locals dancing in the streets – below is one example.

The central part of the city is surrounded by a massive and long (8.7 miles) rectangular wall, which dates back to the 14th century and has the distinction of being the most complete city wall fortification in China. The top of the wall is now a park for walkers, joggers and bicycle enthusiasts.

Old city gate (right side of image).

South entrance of Xi’an’s massive city wall.

Inside the old city are a number of brightly lit towers, providing a festive feel inside this old city.

The 14th century Drum Tower in central Xi’an.

The 14th century Bell Tower marks the geographical center of old Xi’an .

Outside of central Xi’an, on the south side of the city is the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (or Dayan Pagoda), a Buddhist shrine built originally in the 7th century. It has a bit of a lean to it after all these centuries. It overlooks a large park with huge fountains. On the night we were there, thousands of people were gathering to watch a choreographed water and light show, as part of the kick-off to the Chinese National Holiday.

Dayan Pagoda between the spotlights at the beginning of the water and light show.

Another image of the water and light show near the Dayan Pagoda.

The intricately carved wall surrounding the Dayan Pagoda.

Near the Pagoda are some excellent restaurants and a variety of street food options.

My wife and brother-in-law enjoying the street food booths in Xi’an – some of which looked great, other things were a bit scary-looking!

Doing our best imitation of Kung Fu Panda!

Enjoying a bowl of EXCELLENT spicy noodles.

If you’re in Xi’an for an overnight stop to see the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum, don’t miss the opportunity to explore this amazing city, especially at night – quite a sight in itself!